


A Shoulder to Lean On

by SilverFox89



Series: From Then to Now [23]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Mentions of Character Death, Mild Drunkenness, comforting Neji, grieving Shikamaru, inconsolable Yoshino
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-25 21:04:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3825031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverFox89/pseuds/SilverFox89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neji supports Shikamaru after the Forth Great Shinobi War ends and fallen comrades are brought home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Shoulder to Lean On

**Author's Note:**

> 30 Day OTP Challenge for the Fluff Impaired Print #23: A funeral

Neji was normally not someone who liked being around a lot of people, unless absolutely necessary. However, today he made an exception. The Fourth Great Shinobi war had taken many allies and comrades - amongst them Nara Shikaku. While most would not consider Neji as someone closely affected by the man's death, it was  actually the complete opposite.

 

The reason for this was Nara Shikaku's son, Shikamaru, with whom Neji was close friends with. They had gotten to know one another better after the Sasuke Retrieval Mission had put all  of the retrieval team except for  Shikamaru in the hospital.  Their friendship had not had the easiest of starts but it had managed to survive and, months later, thrive. After Yoshino and Shikaku learned about their growing friendship they made sure that Neji knew that he was always welcome in their home. This was something Neji had sorely needed in his youth, as his home life was still harsh because of the  Hyūga  elders.

 

Yoshino was more than happy to have the polite young man in her home and turned into quite the mother hen around him. Shikaku and Shikamaru were mostly just glad that she turned most of her attention to Neji during his visits. Shikaku often took the time to explain anything Neji didn't understand or to talk to or listen to the  Hyūga teen as needed. Neji had still been a young teen back then, after all, and while things had become better with his uncle he was unable to speak as candidly with him as he was with Shikaku. The Nara Clan Head and his wife had, essentially, become Neji's unofficially adopted parents.

 

Shikamaru, on the other hand, was Neji's best friend. Shikamaru did not judge or label nor did he expect anything from Neji. Shikamaru was generally laid back and had never lied to him(except for once before Neji considered him friend and even then it had  been  a complete accident  that the  Hyūga had over reacted to ). And while the young Nara was exceptionally lazy he also had a good work ethic, often stating, " _If I get it done right the first time_ _around then_ _I_ _w_ _on't have to redo everything from the beginning._ "

 

It was because of this close relationship with the Naras that he was here today, at Nara Shikaku's funeral. Neji stood with Ino and Choji as close friends of the family as Shikamaru supported his sobbing mother, standing dry eyed and blank faced as he tried to stay strong for the grieving widow as her husband was laid to rest. Neji was certain that Shikamaru had yet to cry for his fallen father. This was not unusual for the younger man, as he'd been the same way after Asuma had died. Shikamaru would probably not allow himself to grieve until his mother was settled and he was finally by himself. To bad for the Nara that Neji had no intention of leaving him alone with Kami-sama only knew how many bottles of sake.

 

* * *

 

When all was said and done, Shikamaru was relieved to have been able to get away from the crowd of sincere(and not so sincere) well wishers. He vaguely recalled leading his mother on the journey home. Just as vaguely, he remembered getting her up stairs and settled down for the evening. She was in no condition to be doing much else but resting right now. That was why he became startled half way down the stairs as the sound and smell of someone quietly preparing something in the kitchen reached him. He frowned and extended his senses before sighing to himself and walking down the rest of the stairs, "Neji, what are you doing here?"

 

Neji turned, "I thought I would stay for a while and keep you company. I also thought it would be cruel to leave you alone, as I was when my father died," he said. "I would not wish such a thing on even my worst enemy."

 

Shikamaru winced, "I'm not exactly good company right now."

 

"I didn't expect you to be good company," Neji stated firmly. "I expected my grieving friend, whom has a tendency to hide what he's feeling." He eyed Shikamaru for a long moment before saying, "You're my best friend Shikamaru. Quite frankly, sometimes it feels as if you are my only friend, even though I know that you are not the only person who cares about me. So don't think I'll leave you alone in this."

 

Shikamaru smiled a small, sad, crooked smile. "Thanks," he murmured while holding up a hand to stop Neji's protest. "I know it doesn't need to be said, but thanks."

 

Neji watched him for a long, quiet moment before sighing, "Well someone has to keep  you  from giving yourself alcohol poisoning. Sit down and eat."

 

Shikamaru barked a bitter laugh, "I appreciate the sentiment but there's not much of a point. Kaa-san is pretty much down for the count. She needs me to be strong for her right now. Getting a little drunk, sure. Putting myself in the hospital? It just isn't an option, not now, not ever. And just so you know, I don't think I could handle anything heavy on my stomach right now."

 

"I know. It's just some miso soup and a little leftover rice," Neji said softly. "Do you think you can handle that much?"

 

"Maybe..."

 

"All you can do is try, Shikamaru."

 

"Yeah... I know."

 

* * *

 

Later that night, Neji sat quietly beside his mildly inebriated friend. The Nara sat in front of the koi pond holding a 3/4 empty bottle of sake while staring blankly at the water. The normally lazy male had been busy for days, arranging everything from the funeral to the reading of his father's last will and testament, and it showed. His complexion, normally an olive tan, was washed out from exhaustion and grief, and dark circles stood out, a bruised black, under his eyes. His usually sharp mind was now dulled as the alcohol and sleep deprivation drove him closer to what he'd been trying to avoid. The Nara closed his eyes and a tight shuddered racked his lean body as he tried to hold back the pain and grief, tried to hold himself together.

 

Neji noticed immediately. "It's okay, Shikamaru," he said quietly. "You don't need to be strong right now. I'm the only one here. Let it go.  I've got you, just let it go ." He placed an arm around the Nara's shoulders, drawing him close so that the Nara could lean on him as minute shudders became full blown shakes, as silent tears turned into quiet sobs and Shikamaru buried his face in the Hyūga's shoulder, "I'm here, Shikamaru, I'm here."

**Author's Note:**

> Believe it or not, this was the first story I wrote. Some might think that it's morbid but it's actually because I can relate to this story more than some of the others.
> 
> I lost my one and only baby brother on Jan. 29 of this year, three days after my twenty-sixth birthday, to a drunk driver. My baby brother was a pedestrian, who was not on the road, helping a friend and never knew what hit him before it was too late.
> 
> It still hurts so much but you guys, my readers, have been such a great comfort even if you didn't know it. I started these partially because I was inspired by AwayLaughing but mostly I wanted to pull myself out of the depression that the death of my youngest sibling had caused. I had no idea that people would enjoy these as much as they have and it puts a smile on my face when I read your comments or see a Kudos has been left. Thank you, all of you, so much. You have all helped me so much more then you could ever know.


End file.
